It was an awful strife; they fought together
from the early morn until the sun went down, and then the Elf--for elf
he was--cried out, "I now give in!" So both his arms were tightly bound
behind, and with a long, tough cord of plaited hide the strong man kept
his prey, the lariat fast noosed about his neck. The child went on, the
strong man ever following behind, holding the cord well twisted round
his hand.
And so they went into the mountain-side, and ever on, a long and
winding way, down a deep cavern, on for many a mile,--the light of
sorcery shining from the elf made it all clear,--until at last the
guide stopped in ins course, and said:--
"Now list to me. I am the servant of a frightful fiend, a seven-beaded
devil, whom I deemed no man could ever conquer, he and I being of equal
strength; but I believe that thou mayst conquer him, since I have
found, by bitter proof, that thou canst conquer me. Here is a staff,
the only thing on earth that man may smite him with and give him pain.
Now, do your best; it is all one to me which of you gains, so one of
you be slain, for well I wot 't will be a roaring fight."
In came the evil being with a scream, and clutched the Indian with
teeth and claws. There, in the magic cavern, many a mile from the sun's
rays, they fought for seven days, the stubborn devil and the stubborn
man, whose savage temper gave him fresher strength with every fresh
wound; the more his blood ran from his body all the more his heart grew
harder with the love of fight, until he beat away the monster's seven
heads.
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